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SB 205 
.83 K3 
Copy 1 



BEANS 



AS A FIELD CROP 



IN 



KANSAS 



ISSUED BY 

KANSAS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
O. F. WHITNEY. Secretary 



JANUARY, 1918 



KANSAS STATE PRINTING PLANT 

W. R. SMITH. State Printer 

TOPKKA . 1 9 ] 8 

7- mti.T 



D. of !)• 
FEB 18 1918 



.6 



^ Beans as a Field Crop in Kansas. 



THE bean is one of the essential food products of this state 
and furnishes a very economical food and may be grown 
in every garden. 

Beans have been grown in Kansas ever since the very early 
days when the homesteader brought with him seed, and also 
the knowledge that he must provide food for himself and 
family from his immediate surroundings. Many of those early 
settlers were ex-soldiers and living witnesses to the fact that 
beans were an important food product. Beans are easily trans- 
ported, capable of being cooked in several simple ways, and 
furnish a palatable and nutritious food. Logically, then, our 
state should have been a great producer of beans, but as it is 
we are not listed as a bean-producing state. It is written that 
there shall be wars and rumors of wars, and when war was 
declared, that this nation might help win the fight for democ- 
racy, our farmers realized that our soldier boys at the front 
and our allies in this world war must be furnished with proper 
food. The bean appealed to them as one of the available and 
quickly produced food crops. The result has been that we pro- 
duced more beans during the season of 1917 than has ever been 
previously produced in this state. 

We do not advise that one should extensively engage in the 
business of raising beans without due preparation. The pro- 
duction of beans, like the production of all farm crops, re- 
quires some definite knowledge, embracing many details which 
will only come with actual experience. A small acreage will 
furnish experience and produce conditions about as well as a 
larger acreage, and at much less cost in money and muscular 
energy. 

Answers to our inquiries indicate that Pinto was the va- 
riety principally planted during the season of 1917, with some 
of the eastern counties preferring Navy. The drouth- 
resisting trait of the Pinto appeals to those who fear a dry 
summer and fall. The Tepary offers a bean well adapted to 
the semiarid districts, having that peculiar feature to remain 
inactive during a drouth period and when refreshed by water 

(3) 



to resume its growing and produce a crop with less water than 
other varieties. 

Beans are an economical crop when raised in the garden or 
field. The bean is a high-scoring article of food in the field of 
economy and efficiency. Cull beans, or those which are slightly 
damaged, may be ground and used for stock food, but those 
fed to swine should be cooked. 

The bean is a soil builder, the same as other leguminous 
plants, and gathers nitrogen and leaves the soil in better con- 
dition for the crop which follows. 

The answers to our inquiries, directed to some of the men 
who planted beans during the season of 1917, will show that we 
may expect a fairly good crop when normal conditions prevail. 
The replies which we have here recorded are from practical 
men and give the experience from counties situated in differ- 
ent parts of the state, and include the records of about a thou- 
sand acres. 

The acreage was too large for best results in several in- 
stances, and the parties claimed that the same number of 
bushels could have been produced from a less number of acres. 
The tendency to overplant was regretted by several growers. 
The crop should have intensive cultivation on well-prepared 
ground rather than indifferent work on a large acreage of 
poorly prepared ground. 

The following information is from Prof. E. C. Mellick, of 
Colby, Thomas county, Kansas, who produced, harvested and 
threshed the bean crop from 150 acres. The professor gives 
his experience in a very complete and direct manner. The de- 
tails of his operations are as valuable as the important fea- 
tures, and we believe the advice and instruction given by Pro- 
fessor Mellick will be of much assistance to those who intend 
to plant beans. 

PINTO BEANS. 

The Pinto bean is a variety of the Mexican bean, having a 
light buff color for a background, speckled over with dark- 
brown spots. It has become one of the leading varieties of 
domestic beans, with a well-developed market. 

Soil Needed. 

Most any kind of soil will do for growing Pinto beans, but 
sandy loam is the best. 



Preparation of the Soil. 

I feel that this is the most essential point in producing 
Pinto beans. The ground should be in perfect physical condi- 
tion at the time of planting. The land should be summer fal- 
lowed if possible, as this puts the ground in ideal shape for 
planting, cultivating, and keeping down the weeds. If the 
land has not been summer fallowed it should be fall plowed 
or blank listed. Early in the spring the soil should be worked 
into a firm seed bed, as good, or even better, than for corn or 
wheat. If fall plowing has not been done, plow as early as 
possible in the spring, and work the ground into a firm seed 
bed. 

Do Not List for Beans. 

Many people have made the mistake of using a lister rather 
than a surface planter. The surface of the land should be flat 
rather than ridged, as this will make a great difference at har- 
vest time. If the field is small it does not matter so much how 
they are planted, as the harvesting will not be such a great 
task as it is in fields of large acreage. 

Time to Plant Pinto Beans. 

Beans are a warm-weather plant and cannot stand the 
slightest frost; therefore the planting should be delayed until 
all danger of frost is over. This is usually about the 25th of 
May or the 1st of June. 

I began the 25th of May and finished on the 17th of June. 
Planting should begin as early as possible, as a delay in plant- 
ing may delay maturity, and an early frost in the fall may in- 
jure the crop. It takes at least 90 days for a crop to mature, 
and if the season is somewhat dry it may take 120 days. 

How to Plant Pinto Beans. 
It a large acreage is to be planted a bean planter should be 
used. A two-row corn planter will do, using a regular bean 
plate. I used a corn planter and had excellent success. Do 
not plant by using a lister, because it leaves the ground ridged, 
and it will be almost impossible to get it smooth and level for 
harvesting the crop. Pinto beans should be planted from 8 
inches to 14 inches in rows which are from 30 to 40 inches 
apart. This will require from 8 to 15 pounds of seed to plant 
an acre. I planted 13 pounds to the acre and had an excellent 
stand. Always test the seed for germination before planting. 



as many beans are frequently injured by the frost, and conse- 
quently will not grow, although they may look to be as good as 
the others. Beans should be planted about 3 inches deep. 

Cultivation. 
Most of the cultivation should be done previous to planting. 
It is necessary to work the ground in the spring enough to in- 
sure a firm seed bed; this gets a start of the weeds, which is 
about all that cultivation is for. It is important, of course, to 
always stir the ground after a heavy rain in order to form a 
soil mulch, and thus preserve the moisture. Beans are 
shallow-rooted plants, and therefore all cultivation should be 
rather shallow. The first cultivation should be the deepest, 
something like three inches. This will form a soil mulch, 
which will probably dry out as deep as you have stirred the 
soil. This will cause the roots to seek the moist ground be- 
neath, and consequently you can force your plant to become 
rather deep rooted. At this time the root system has not de- 
veloped to any great extent and there is not much danger of in- 
juring the roots. The second cultivation should not be as deep 
as the first one. It is a very good practice to run over them 
with a spring-tooth harrow after the first cultivation. This 
can be done without injury to the plants and it will level the 
ground, give you a soil mulch and make it easier for the second 
cultivation. Use an ordinary corn cultivator. I suggest that 
you use a four-shovel cultivator for the first time, and a six- 
shovel for the second time. This will avoid having the shovels 
follow in the tracks which were made the first time, and con- 
sequently the work will be easier. One must always avoid 
working in the field when the vines are wet. Cultivation 
should stop when the vines begin to bloom. Always keep in 
mind that, if conditions are favorable, there is going to be a 
harvest by and by, and it behooves one to keep the field clear 
of weeds, as weeds give all kinds of trouble when you want to 
use a bean harvester. It may, therefore, pay to go into your 
field with a hoe, after you have finished cultivation, and de- 
stroy all of the stray weeds which have escaped the cultivator. 
I hoed my entire field of 150 acres in order to have it perfectly 
free from weeds. 



Harvesting the Crop. 

If you have a good-sized field to harvest, it is best to buy a 
bean harvester, which is a simple machine made with two 
strong knives so arranged that they cut the stalks just under 
the surface of the ground, and throw two rows together in a 
windrow. One team is enough to pull it. Some machines 
have an attachment for bunching the beans as they are cut, 
but I cannot recommend it. I discarded the one on my ma- 
chine, as it was of no practical benefit, although it added $20 
to the cost of the machine. I would recommend the older 
makes which do not have the attachment and cost less money. 
The beans should be put into small shocks as soon as they are 
cut. 

Small shocks are more economically handled, as larger ones 
must be torn apart, which shells a large percent of the beans, 
causing quite a loss. Harvesting should begin when a ma- 
jority of the pods are yellow, but not dry. A good rule to 
follow is to examine the beans in the pods, and when the color- 
ings are quite distinct in the majority of them you should be- 
gin cutting. The beans which are not fully ripe will ripen in 
the shock or stack. Some few beans will shrivel, but the loss 
by shriveling will be less than by shattering. If the field is 
small the crop may be gathered by pulling the stalks and plac- 
ing them in a dry place. If a hulling machine is not obtainable 
at once, the beans should be stacked as soon as they are prop- 
erly cured. Usually this will be in about ten days after they 
were shocked. The bottom of the stack should be made of old 
straw or hay in order to prevent the beans from drawing 
dampness from the ground. They should be placed in stacks 
similar to wheat, arranged so as to simplify matters at thresh- 
ing time. The stacks should be topped out with straw or hay 
to prevent the rain from damaging the beans. 
Threshing the Beans. 

Do not thresh them with a wheat-threshing machine, as it 
will split and crack many of the beans. They should be 
threshed by a bean huller, or by a wheat thresher which has a 
special attachment made for the purpose of hulling beans. 
The Case Company makes such an attachment. A flail may 
be used to thresh a small amount. A man can thresh about 
1,500 pounds of beans in a day with a flail. 



Marketing. 

Although you may have used the best method of threshing, 
the beans should be recleaned for the purpose of removing 
damaged beans and other foreign matter which the thresher 
failed, to take out. They should be marketed in strong new 
sacks, each sack containing 100 pounds of well-cleaned beans. 
The Pinto bean has a well-established market, and it is easy to 
find a ready sale for the beans of standard grade and good 
quality. The normal price was around 4 cents a pound, but at 
present they sell as high as 8 or 10 cents a pound. 

Bean Straw. 

The straw is valuable as roughage for milch cows, having 
almost the same feeding value as alfalfa. I found it to be 
much better for milk production than kafir. 
Beans in Rotation. 

The Pinto bean is a legume and has the same effect on the 
soil as other legumes, such as alfalfa, clover, cowpeas, etc. It 
is a splendid crop to precede wheat, as it serves as a cleaning 
crop and also gathers the much-needed plant food that is re- 
quired to produce a profitable crop of wheat. It is almost 
the equivalent of a summer fallow. 

Acreage to Plant. 

One who has many other duties should not attempt to plant 
too large an acreage. I suggest the planting of 30 or 40 acres 
for the average farmer. 

The Pinto Bean a Drouth Resister. 

By many the Pinto bean is called the "dry-weather bean," 
because of its drouth-resisting qualities. It seems to have the 
trait to stand still, as it were, and wait for the moisture to 
come. When the vines turn a dark-green color it is an indica- 
tion that they need moisture, and the drier they get the darker 
they become. A light-green color is an indication of sufficient 
moisture. 

Pests. 

The chief pests of the Pinto bean are rabbits, grasshoppers, 
and various kinds of worms. The grasshoppers can be con- 



trolled by scattering poison* around the edge of the field. For 
worms and rabbits, I know of no remedy. 

The Pinto bean may be hailed down very badly and yet make 
a very good crop. There were several fields in this neighbor- 
hood hailed down last summer and they recovered and pro- 
duced a very good yield. 

Dry weather will cause the blossoms to blight and fall, but 
if cool weather and moisture come soon they will begin to 
bloom again and will produce a crop of beans, if there is a late 
fall and other favorable conditions. 

Are They Adapted to Kansas? 

I feel quite convinced from my experience this year that 
they are well adapted to Kansas conditions. They must have 
proper care if good results are to be realized. Many people 
have made the mistake of expecting results without making 
proper efforts to get them. They expected the bean to make 
a crop without any care or cultivation, when as a matter of 
fact they need more care than other field crops. 
Are They Profitable? 

This was an extra dry season and my field produced 400 
pounds from each of the 150 acres. At 10 cents a pound the 
crop will return us $6,000. The total cost of the crop was 
about $1,500, leaving a net profit of $4,500. This return is 
better by far than the return from other fields in this vicinity 
which were planted to the usual crops. Under normal condi- 
tions I feel sure that a yield of 800 pounds could be expected 
from each acre. I expect to plant several acres next season. 

* POISON BRAN MASH. 

Large quantity. Small quantity. 

Bran 20 pounds. 1 quart. 

Paris green 1 pound. 1 teaspoonful. 

Syrup 1 to 2 quarts. 2 tablespoonfuls. 

Lemons 3 Vz 

Water 3 '^ gallons. 1 pint. 

Mix dry bran and Paris green thoroughly first ; then add syrup and lemons, and 
water enough to make a moist mash. The lemons should be ground fine in a foodchopper. 
The syrup should be the cheapest strongest-flavored product obtainable. The bran and 
Paris green may be kept mixed indefinitely if kept dry, but the lemons, syrup and water 
should be added just before using the mash. 

The odor attracts the grasshoppers, army worms and cutworms. 

The poisoned bran mash should be spread broadcast in the evening for army worms 
and cutworms, but in the early morning for grasshoppers. 

Sow the poison mash very sparingly in strips from 12 to 16 feet wide across tlie 
field, so that a tubful will spread over from 8 to 10 acres. If a second application is 
necessary, one week after the first, sow the mash in strips running the opposite way. Be 
sure to sow it thin so that there will be no danger to birds. 



10 

The following is the experience of W. J. Rickenbacher, To- 
peka, Shawnee county, Kansas : 

From observation, investigation and practical experience, I am con- 
vinced that there are three important factors in raising a successful bean 
crop in this county: 

First: Proper preparation of seed bed. 

Second : Proper time of planting. 

Third: Care and cultivation. 

Fall plow^ing, as deep as possible, is a good foundation for moisture 
conservation. When the first weeds appear in the spring, I disk, and 
then disk and harrow and pack with a Topeka soil packer every ten days 
until June 15 to June 25. Then I plant in rows 30 inches apart and 
drop the seed about 4% inches apart in the row. This will plant about 
30 pounds of seed to the acre. If land is rich, well fertilized and inocu- 
lated, ten to twenty pounds of seed to the acre would be enough, as the 
plants will have more and longer runners and will therefore require more 
room. 

The richer the soil the better the crop. While I believe beans will 
make more money on poor soil than corn will, yet I prefer rich land for 
best results. 

After planting I float the ground with a plank to thoroughly level and 
pulverize. In ten days, if dry, I cultivate; if wet, I do not. I cultivate 
shallow every week until the bloom sets on, then cease cultivating. I 
never cultivate, hoe or walk through the field -while the plants are damp 
with rain or dew, as this will spread anthracnose and other diseases. An 
entire crop can easily be ruined by several diseases to which beans are 
subject unless spraying is resorted to. I find the best way to avoid 
spreading the disease is to keep out of the field while the plants are damp. 

First-class Michigan seed will mature in 90 days, and if planted before 
June 15 will bloom during July when we have our usual hot vdnds, which 
will blight the blossom, and unless weather conditions are very favorable 
the blossoms will not set on again in time to mature a crop before an 
early frost. I find that late planting also has the advantage of ripening 
the beans at a time when we usually have a fair spell of weather, which 
makes harvesting ideal. 

As soon as the pods were dry I pulled the plants and placed in piles of 
about 25 pounds, and in a few days after I found them well cured. I 
mowed them in my barn, intending to hull them in late winter or early 
spring. This I would not do again, as I lost my crop and barn by fire. 
Next year I intend hulling the beans in the field with a regular bean 
huller. I find that the regular wheat and oats threshers will not thresh 
beans successfully. If I had a small patch I would beat them out with a 
fork, placing them in a wagon box, and then run them through a fanning 
mill. 

Five successive bean crops will improve the soil to the extent of $30 
an acre in fertility, at the present price of fertilizers. (This is based on 
reports from state experiment stations and bulletins from the United 
States Department of Agriculture.) 



11 

The following is the experience of bean growers from among 
our correspondents: 

Cloud county is represented in the bean field by Mr. A. B. Stockton, 
of Concordia, who planted six pounds of Navy bean seed to the acre on 
a field of 20 acres. The acre yield was 480 pounds, or eight bushels. 
He will include Pinto in his next planting, and will plant about the 15th 
of June. He considers the Pinto a better yielder, and it does not discolor 
as readily as the white one. 

Mr. Jules Renard, of Concordia, Cloud county, reports a yield of 480 
pounds to the acre of the Pinto variety, and prefers clay land for best 
results. The date of planting was May 20, at the rate of 16 pounds of 
seed to the acre. In part he says: "The beans were grown under very 
adverse weather conditions. The summer of 1917 was very hot and dry. 
The beans withstood the heat quite well. We had given them up as a 
failure, when, to our surprise, we gathered 480 pounds to the acre. 
Plant them in a shallow listed furrow, as you would corn, and cultivate 
in the same manner. It is very important that there be no weeds allowed 
to grow and remain in the crop of beans, for it is almost impossible to 
harvest them if the weeds are allowed to mature with the crop." 

Mr. Herman Neitzel, of Concprdia, records a failure, but will try it 
again. He recommends the Pinto for the western half of the state. Will 
plant about June 1, and says "two good rains will produce a crop of 
Pintos." 

Henry Williams, of Matfield Green, in Chase county, planted M acre, 
using 1^/^ pounds of seed, and produced 2 bushels of small Navy beans. 
Will plant again, and the time of planting will depend on the season. 

George Nuzum, of White Cloud, Doniphan county, planted 40 pounds 
of Navy beans on one acre and produced 5 bushels. The cultivation was 
not difficult. He will plant about July 10, and recommends a poor soil. 
(Poor soil in Doniphan county might be considered a very good soil in 
some localities. — Ed.) He considers the crop a practical one for food 
and a profitable one to raise. 

J. Mallows, of Sparks, Doniphan county, planted 10 acres, using 11 
pounds of Michigan Navy bean seed to the acre, which produced 50 
bushels of beans. Mr. Mallows says that he lacked experience in cul- 
tivating, and also in harvesting the crop. Under proper conditions it is 
a practical food crop and when properly harvested it will yield a profit. 
Would plant about June 20, preferably on clay soil. 

S. J. Dutch, of White Cloud, Doniphan county, writes: "I planted 
16 pounds of Navy beans on an acre of ground and produced 750 pounds, 
or 12 1/^ bushels, on land which is too poor to raise an average crop of 
corn. The planting should be done from the 20th to the 30th of June 
and the cultivation is not difficult. The crop was sold for 15 cents a 
pound, and brought $112.50, which is a good gross return for an acre of 
land that is not considered good enough for corn." Mr. Dutch closes with: 
"If it had not rained in August the acre would have yielded more than 20 



12 

bushels. The moisture caused the pods to open and much of the crop was 
wasted because the pods opened and the beans dropped out and were a 
total loss." He expects to plant five acres of Navy beans in 1918. 

Mr. James Kelly, of White Cloud, Doniphan county, planted 6 bushels 
of Navy beans and Nebraska sand-hill beans on 12 acres; did not culti- 
vate, and harvested 5 bushels from each acre. Prefers to plant on poor, 
thin ground about June 1 to 15. The crop is both practical and profitable. 
Mr. Kelly writes: "We planted these beans to help vnn the war; planted 
on ground too poor for corn; got 60 bushels, and at half the present 
prices we could have made a good profit." 

Mr, F. J. Sonnenberg, of Highland, Doniphan county, planted 16 acres, 
using 450 pounds Navy bean seed. He had not threshed at the time of 
writing, but was not complaining of his prospect. Will plant his next 
crop from June 20 to July 4. He closes by writing: "I prefer planting 
Navy beans on thin upland soil, yet it is possible that in a very dry year 
soil containing more humus would be better than thin upland soil, but 
under this year's condition thin soil gave better results." 

C. F. McDonald, Garden City, Finney county, planted Pinto beans on 
60 acres at the rate of 10 pounds to the acre, which yielded 3 bushels to 
the acre. He does not expect to engage in the business during the season 
of 1918. He considers the crop profitable when conditions are normal, 
and a practical one for food. 

Mr. G. G. Baker, of Garden City, Finney county, planted 4-4 acres to 
Pinto beans and harvested 8 bushels to the acre. He planted 12 pounds 
of seed to the acre, about June 1. He expects to plant some for 1918. 
The crop was easy to cultivate, returned some profit, and was an eco- 
nomic food crop, but he is not altogether satisfied. He says, in part: 
"I planted Navy beans on June 5, just previous to a heavy rain and 
severe hailstorm, which packed the ground and prevented the beans from 
coming through the crust, which gave me a poor stand. I finished plant- 
ing on June 12. The first planting gave better results. I plowed the 
ground about six inches deep, and ten days later disked, harrowed and 
listed it in rows 30 inches apart. I cultivated with a corn cultivator. 
The crop is cheaply cultivated, but expensive to harvest and thresh. I 
expected to plant 40 acres to beans for 1918, but the government having 
fixed a price of 7%* cents a pound, which is too low, I shall plant only a 
few, if any. The grocerymen are retailing the same bean at 15 cents a 
pound, which gives too much profit for the retailer. The grower should 
be guaranteed 10 cents a pound and a square deal, which would en- 
courage the planting of hundreds of acres." 

R. I. Montgomery, Montezuma, Gray county, planted 10 acres with 70 
pounds of Pinto bean seed, and harvested about 1,000 pounds. He will 
plant again for 1918, and prefers black, loamy soil. The yield was light, 
owing to dry weather. He writes an encouraging letter, and says : "Our 
bean crop was almost a failure, owing to the dry weather. The very 
fact that they produced under such . abnormal conditions this year con- 

* This price is not a permanent one; it may be less and it can be greater. — Ed. 



13 

vinces us that with a favorable season a profitable crop could be pro- 
duced. We should do all that we can to encourage the planting of beans, 
for should the war continue for several years beans will serve a great 
purpose. They could be made to furnish one-half of the food required by 
the human family." 

Mr. C. C. Mitchell, Montezuma, Gray county, whp pi'oduced a profit- 
able garden crop, would plant Pinto beans on second-year sod about 
May 1, and says: "A great number of persons planted Pinto beans for 
the purpose of aiding in the food drive of the last spring, with varying 
results. The altitude and the dry climate are not very favorable for best 
results, but with careful preparation of the soil and proper cultivation, 
I believe the Pinto bean will produce a profitable crop." 

Mrs. T. F. Potts, of Montezuma, Gray county, irrigated 6 rows of 
beans 50 feet long and produced 65 pounds of shelled beans, as well as 
some which were used as pod beans. She planted the latter part of April, 
and Pinto was the variety. 

Mr. C. C. Isely, a practical business man of Cimarron, and manager 
of a lumber and grain company, who has financed several parties in bean 
growing, writes, in part, as follows: "Last spring we shipped a car of 
bean seed to Dodge City and distributed it from there, shipping the seed 
to Sublette, Copeland, Montezuma, Ensign, Cimarron, Ingalls, Charles- 
ton, Deerfield, Shallow Water and Utica. We have had the most un- 
favorable season that one could possibly imagine, and yet we have some 
very good beans, and a favorable out-turn. We will know how favorable 
when the threshing is completed. We consider the crop has demon- 
strated, however, that with proper care it could be profitably grown in 
this territory. The growers will have to learn how to handle the crop, 
which can be handled without much work, and can be planted any time 
until the 10th or 15th of June. To get good results the soil should be 
kept free from weeds. Fifteen to 18 pounds of seed is required to plant 
an acre, and can be planted with an ordinary corn drill. The great diffi- 
culty was in harvesting the crop, as we had no proper machinery. A 
bean harvester would n't cost much, and each grower ought to have one. 
To help in producing the crop I would always insist that the growers 
avoid putting the seed out on sod, as it is impossible to cultivate and the 
harvesting is more difficult. We planted Pinto beans, and we hope to see 
a larger acreage put out next year. We financed quite a number of 
farmers and will probably repeat the operation for the next crop." 

Greeley county produced a bean grower who planted 162 acres of 
Pinto beans, which averaged about 15 bushels to the acre. Mr. Clem 
Wilson, of Tribune, who produced this crop says he planted 12 pounds 
of seed to the acre; that the cultivation was about the same as required 
for corn. He will plant a crop in 1918, about the 25th of May. The crop 
was a profitable one, and he thinks it is pi-actical to raise beans. (Plant- 
ing, cultivating and harvesting the crop from 162 acres would give the 
operator a vast amount of experience which should be a valuable asset 
to the possessor. — Editor.) 



14 

Mr. A. M. Davidson, Tribune, is also some bean raiser. He planted 
80 acres to the Pinto bean, using 10 pounds of seed to the acre, and pro- 
duced 500 pounds of marketable beans to the acre. He plans to produce 
a crop in 1918, and will plant when the time has passed for late spring 
frosts. His judgment is that Pinto is the best bean to grow in this sec- 
tion, since the grower has learned to clean, properly grade, and sack 
this bean, it is quite popular on the market. Mr. Davidson is the pioneer 
commercial bean grower in his county, and is strong for the business. 

Mr. Franklin E. Brooks, of Winona, Logan county, gives the following 
valuable information. This is from a practical farmer and worthy of 
close attention: 

"I put out 30 acres to beans, using 200 pounds of seed. The crop is 
difficult to cultivate. I should say tliat the soil should be well plowed and 
packed before seeding. If it were lightly harrowed just before seeding 
it would set the weeds back and give the beans a start. On the upland 
they failed on account of a lack of moisture in July. We had a great 
prospect up to July 1. On the lowland, subirrigated, I had in a few rows 
that would have gone 30 bushels to the acre. I put out the speckled Mexi- 
can beans. I prefer a loamy bottom soil, with some sand, in this region. 
We will put out about 40 acres next season, same variety, and will drill 
them in about June 1. This variety ought to be a great food. I believe 
they will become one of our profitable crops, if properly put in, especially 
during the war period. It seems to me, as a matter of patriotism, that 
this crop should be put in extensively. I suggest that summer fallowing 
should be done, and the soil frequently harrowed the season before, to 
produce the best results in growing beans. Several growers received 
good results from new breaking." 

Beans grew successfully in Lyon county for Mr. D. Rathke, of Olpe, 
who planted 55 pounds of seed on 4 acres of ground, and threshed about 
10 bushels from each acre, which at the price he received was a profitable 
crop. A part of this crop was black-eyed peas, the balance Pinto beans. 
He will plant the same acreage and the same varieties of seed for 1918. 
Light sandy soil is preferred for this crop. 

Mr. Buxton, of Buxton & Rutherford, located at Utica, has faith that 
the bean industry in his locality is worthy of more consideration, even 
though the 200 acres planted by different people were practical failures. 
He states that owing to the dry weather there were no beans planted 
until after the 10th of July and the crop did not materialize. His belief 
is that an ordinary year would be all right for the production of the bean 
crop. 

The bean crop was a success as grown by Mr. J. W. Lough, of Scott 
City, in Scott county. He planted 12 pounds of Pinto beans to the acre 
and harvested about 20 bushels from each acre of a field containing 50 
acres. It is easy to cultivate, and he prefers old land. He will plant the 
same variety some time in June for the crop of 1918. He says: "Beans 
are hard to beat." 



15 

Thomas county, which is the third tier from our west line, centrally 
located north and south, produced quite an acreage of beans for the 
season of 1917. 

Mr. R, D. Misner, of Mingo, Thomas county, has given some of his 
experience while raising ten acres of Texas beans. He planted 12 
pounds of seed to the acre and harvested a fair crop, and as he had not 
finished threshing at the time of writing, could not state the exact yield, 
but it was large enough to encourage him to plan again for a crop in 
1918. He writes : 

"Bean growing in this locality is an experiment. Wheat, barley and 
corn are our principal crops, but the very dry season caused almost a 
total failure of these for the year 1917. Previously I never had any ex- 
perience with beans, and naturally made quite a number of mistakes 
which I can remedy to my advantage. I plowed my land, and harrowed to 
smooth it, then planted with a corn planter. The weather was dry and 
the ground dried out so badly that only a part of the plants came up at 
the proper time. Each shower after this time brought up a few more, 
and when frost came I had ripe beans, and beans in bloom. This you 
see made a muss of things. I expect to plant 20 to 25 acres for 1918, and 
may make mistakes, but not the same ones made previously. I shall 
plow and harrow the ground and put a shovel on a planter in front of the 
shoe, which will make a small ditch in which to plant the beans. This 
should cause the beans all to come up at the same time, which will insure 
a uniform stand as well as being easier to cultivate. Some of my neigh- 
bors list, the same as for corn, and do not plow the ground. I will plant 
the Texas bean again. They are mostly called the Pinto, but I do not 
believe them to be the same. 

"There was no thresher that I could get to thresh my beans, so I 
spread the beans on the ground and hitched to my packer, which is 
similar to a roller, only it is made of many little wheels and weighs 
about one ton. I drove this over the beans, and was surprised to see 
how rapidly it threshed them. I cleaned them on the fanning mill after 
making a special sieve for that purpose. 

"The beans should be planted with a two-row corn planter or a double- 
row lister. This will enable one to use a harvesting machine, which is 
made to fit in between the two rows that are the same distance apart at 
all times. 

"We believe that the colored bean is better than the Navy for this sec- 
tion of the country. Some of the growers prefer sandy soil, but I think 
any good ordinary soil will do very well. Beans planted alongside the 
corn made a crop, and the corn was a failure. This convinces me that 
the bean is a good drouth-resisting crop." 

A failure will sometimes teach a valuable lesson. A business firm in 
Colby planted 120 acres, and it was impossible to get help to do the culti- 
vating, consequently the weeds took the crop. There was planted on the 
120 acres, 600 pounds of Pinto bean seed. (We are of the belief that five 
pounds of seed to the acre is not enough. — Editor.) 



16 

During the first week of June, Mr. J. H. Jeffries of Colby, planted 60 
pounds of Pinto bean seed on 4 acres and harvested 800 pounds. He is 
satisfied that it is a profitable crop and will plant the same variety again. 

Navy beans and cowpeas were grown in a small way by Mrs. E. S. 
Fox, of Larned. The cowpeas were better yielders, some of the pods hav- 
ing as many as 21 individual peas. The rabbits ate some of them, as also 
did the chickens. The beans and peas are better off if partially shaded 
while growing, as the soil gets quite hot. Plant about the middle to the 
last of June on clay or sandy soil. 

This encouraging report was received from Larned, Pawnee county: 
"I planted 1 bushel of Pinto bean seed on 3 acres of ground. The crop 
was difficult to cultivate owing to the very dry weather. I did not irri- 
gate. The quality was good. I harvested about 340 pounds to the acre 
and received 12 cents a pound for part of the crop. I am of the opin- 
ion that Pinto beans are a very profitable crop to raise if properly culti- 
vated. The crop must be thoroughly cleaned for the market. I would 
advise all who can to raise the Pinto bean, as it is delicious food and is 
relished by all who have eaten it." — Reuben Blount. 

This is also from Larned, Pawnee county, where Mr. A. L. Stockwell 
gives his experience in raising two acres of Navy, Mexican Pink and 
Pinto beans. He planted 20 pounds of seed on 2 acres and harvested 
about 2 bushels to the acre, with the Pinto giving the best results. Was 
not profitable and is not a practical crop with him. He writes: "I gave 
this bean crop the very best attention. The soil was in good shape at 
planting time and we gave it proper cultivation. The same effort would 
have produced 30 bushels of kafir or 5 tons of alfalfa to the acre." 

Finney county has a very successful and enthusiastic bean grower in 
Wilson C. Larmor, of Garden City. He writes: 

"I am very much interested in the growing of beans in western Kan- 
sas, as I believe them to be the best crop in this locality, either as a crop 
for dry farming or as an irrigated crop. 

"This year I planted beans chiefly to find out what could be done. I 
planted two patches, one of 25 acres on land which could be irrigated, 
and 20 acres under dry-farming conditions, and I am more than pleased 
with the results. On the irrigated tract 10 acres were destroyed by high 
winds blowing the sand, which cut off the young plants soon after they 
had come through the ground, making this part of the tract a total loss. 

"I planted 30 pounds of seed to an acre on the irrigated land and 10 
pounds of seed to the acre on dry-farming land. The 20-acre tract con- 
sisted of medium heavy soil and yielded about 250 pounds of beans to the 
acre. Had this been reasonably sandy the yield would have been doubled. 

"The irrigated land produced about 900 pounds to the acre; neither 
crop was hard to cultivate. I planted the Pinto variety, and expect to 
plant from 100 to 200 acres for the 1918 crop. 

"The time to plant is from the 10th to the 15th of June, and the crop 
will be ready for harvesting from the 10th to the 15th of September, 
requiring practically 90 days in which to make. The crop should be 
harvested before the pods are fully dry, and just as the bean begins to 
get loose in the pod and before the pod begins to shrivel. 



17 

"It is quite important to observe this fact, for if the beans get too 
ripe the pods will open and there will be a loss of from 10 to 15 percent 
caused by the beans shattering from the pod. It is a very important and 
practical crop to raise. I am estimating the yield of my crop, and I am 
conservative in the estimate. Should I realize my expectations the crop 
will be worth more than the land on which it grew." 

Greenwood county furnishes a very successful bean-growing experi- 
ment. Mr. W. Soule, of Madison, tells his experience as follows: 

"The variety of beans which I planted was Michigan Navy, using 
14 pounds of seed to an acre, with and acre yield of 12 bushels, or 720 
pounds. The land which was used is some of the best in the Verdigris 
valley. It was plowed early in the spring and was disked about every 
two weeks up to the 10th of June, at which time it was marked off with 
the rows 32 inches apart. The beans were drilled with a one-horse 
corn drill, which dropped the seed from 6 to 10 inches apart in the rows. 

"The most important feature in bean raising, as well as other farm 
crops, is the proper preparation of the land before planting by thoroughly 
pulverizing the soil. My bean crop was not seriously damaged by the 
drouth of last summer, owing to the fact that the ground was finely 
pulverized and the moisture was conserved by a soil mulch which pre- 
vented rapid evaporation." 

This is from Montgomery county. Where Mr. F. L. Kenoyer has had 
much experience as a horticulturist. 

There were only a few beans grown in this vicinity, and those only 
for home use. One rfian raises navy beans very successfully by planting 
any tirpe between June 15 and July 15, drilled in rows about the same as 
for corn or potatoes, and cultivates them two or three times. 

In a small way there was raised a crop which produced 16 bushels to 
the acre. Mr. Kenoyer says, ^"I believe that the Pinto bean will produce 
a paying crop here on any good soil. It is a drought resister. The sum- 
mer of 1917 was the driest of our 46 recorded years, yet the Pinto with- 
stood the drought and produced a good crop. 

"The cultural methods are quite similar to those which are given to 
corn. You drill the seed 4 or .5 inches apart in the rows and the rows 
should not exceed 42 inches in width. 

"It vdll require several years of experimental work to demonstrate 
whether it will pay to engage in raising them in a commercial way. 

"Beans grown in a hot climate are not usually as good in quality as 
those grown in a cooler climate, for this reason those grown in Northern 
states and even those grown in Canada are considered to be of better 
quality. This fact may not hold good in the Pinto bean, as it is a Mexican 
variety, and should grow to perfection in the South." 



18 



CONCLUSIONS. 

Conservative conclusions drawn from reports and other 
sources of information support the belief that it is well to 
recommend bean planting ; because it can be done on each farm 
and garden in this state, producing, as it does, a nutritious and 
palatable food, which may be eaten as a fresh vegetable with 
the pod, or allowed to mature, in which case it will furnish 
acceptable food for all seasons of the year ; because when con- 
sumed in the locality where it is produced it does not increase 
the burden of congested transportation; because it does not 
require an excessive amount of labor to produce, nor expensive 
machinery to harvest the crop, which may be shelled by hand 
in a small way, threshed with a flail, a threshing machine, or a 
regular bean huller, the manner of threshing depending on the 
size of the crop. 

Persons who intend to enter the field in a commercial way 
should investigate the possibilities by consulting those who 
have had practical experience and a knowledge of the details. 
A large acreage is to be avoided by those of limited experience. 



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